Calorimetry Calculator — q = CΔT

A calorimeter's heat capacity C (in J/K) bundles the whole apparatus — cup, water, thermometer — into one number. Multiply it by the observed temperature change to get the heat the reaction released or absorbed.

How to interpret the result

Worked check: a calorimeter with C = 950 J/K warming 3.20 K absorbed 950 × 3.20 = 3040 J. The reaction's heat is the negative of this (q_rxn = −q_cal).

Assumptions

• The calorimeter was properly calibrated
• Heat exchange with the room is negligible
• C is constant over the measured ΔT